Passage Explorer
Word study · Greek

prōtótokos

firstborn

Say it: pro-TOT-ok-os (approximate)

πρωτότοκος

What it means

"Firstborn," a title of the heir and of rank, not necessarily the first one born. In 1:15, Christ is "the firstborn of all creation," meaning heir and ruler over it, and in 1:18 "the firstborn from the dead." Compare Psalm 89:27.

Open question Debated

Range of meaning

  • FirstbornThe first son.
  • HeirOne with rank and priority.

In Colossians

  • Chapter 1

    "The firstborn of all creation" and "firstborn from the dead" (1:15, 1:18).

Every verse (2)

Verses where G4416 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources